But—
"How pathetic."
Ian muttered with disdain.
Weaker.
Anger only blinds you.
You really think you're the protagonist, capable of powering up through sheer will?
Easily dodging Redfield's attack, Ian grabbed Redfield's neck with one hand, lifted him up, then slammed him heavily onto the ground.
The earth instantly cracked apart, a massive crater forming in an instant.
Redfield spat out a mouthful of blood, but despite this, the umbrella sword in his hand stabbed relentlessly toward Ian's heart.
Ian had already foreseen this outcome. He lightly stepped back and jumped onto the edge of the crater.
"Cough, cough—"
Redfield violently coughed, blood constantly spilling from his mouth, as if he was about to cough up his lungs.
"So, I told you, how could you possibly beat me?"
Ian said calmly.
It wasn't arrogance—he truly believed he could defeat Redfield even in his prime, let alone the aged Redfield whose spirit and body had severely declined.
"You're just relying on your youth!"
Clutching his chest, Redfield stood up and looked up at Ian with gritted teeth, jealousy thick in his voice.
"Young, vigorous, at your peak—you naturally can't understand the pain I'm going through!"
"You're wrong, Redfield-san."
Ian raised his right index finger and shook it lightly.
With Redfield's surprised look, he said, "I'm far from my peak—I'm only sixteen this year."
Redfield instantly clenched his fists, wishing he could punch this bastard to death.
Killing someone's body wasn't enough; he had to kill their spirit too.
Shiryu clicked his tongue in disapproval.
"There will be such a day, brat!!"
Redfield stared at Ian with pure hatred. "One day, you'll grow old too. You'll feel your youth slipping away from you bit by bit, and you'll never regain the strength you once had at your peak!"
"Maybe so."
Ian replied calmly, showing little concern.
He was still very young—not yet at the point where he needed to worry about such things.
But—
"How pathetic, Redfield."
Ian looked down at Redfield with contempt. "Is that really how you refuse to accept your own aging?"
"Shiki-san was foolish before he died, but even he was full of spirit. Whitebeard needs no introduction; when I fought him recently, his presence was still overwhelming."
"Why is it only you who fears time so much?"
Redfield's pupils suddenly shrank.
A wave of shame and fear surged from the depths of his heart, making him unable to meet Ian's gaze.
"The old-timers of your generation—Whitebeard, Marine Hero Garp, Fleet Admiral Sengoku—they still stand at the top of pirates and marines. Even retired Rayleigh is still lively and strong."
Ian tossed the small box in his hand with a mocking smile.
"So what if you got this Devil Fruit?"
He tapped his chest. "When your heart ages, no power can save you."
"Face it, Redfield-san, you're nothing but a complete loser."
Redfield's eyes widened instantly, his pupils trembling as if struck by an earthquake.
Is it his body that's aging?
Ian watched him with interest. "In the end, Redfield-san, what are you really afraid of?"
"Is it truly aging?"
"Or is it the helplessness that comes with it? Because you know that if you lose your strength along with youth, you'll have nothing left at all?"
At that moment, Redfield staggered back two steps as if his heart had been shot through.
The bloodied and battered face he showed Ian was filled with nothing but fear.
Direct hit!
Ian couldn't help but smile proudly.
No wonder he was himself.
Watching Redfield's constantly shifting expression, Ian felt a hint of pity and said, "I think, rather than desperately clinging to what little you have, it's better to go find something new worth cherishing."
Sigh.
He really was Kaido-sensei's top disciple — that habit of being a know-it-all was ingrained deep in his bones.
Redfield didn't say a word.
"Hm?"
Ian suddenly looked up, his gaze drifting to the distance.
"They're coming fast."
He muttered to himself.
From the sky, he could clearly see massive Navy warships surrounding the island from all directions.
Ian could distinctly sense three powerful auras—one of them was almost ridiculously strong.
All familiar faces.
But that made sense. While he was wandering around the small village, the Navy had already closed in.
"Then I might as well go say hello."
Ian chuckled lightly.
Without caring about Redfield, who was still stuck in the pit and changing expressions rapidly, Ian stepped on air and leapt up, rushing back towards the village he had come from.
However, when passing above Shiryu, he paused.
"Haha…"
Shiryu gave an awkward laugh.
Sweat was already beading on his forehead.
"Shiryu of the Rain," Ian smiled, "Interested in coming over to my side?"
"Oh?"
Shiryu's eyes brightened. "Really? Is that possible?"
Compared to the Cross Guild, this man could truly set the world ablaze!
"Wait for my message."
Ian left those few words, then in the next moment, he soared into the sky like the wind.
This guy really seems to thrive on chaos.
Let's just treat this as a casual move in the game.
Shiryu lifted the corners of his mouth in excitement, watching Ian's retreating figure.
It's truly thrilling—what exactly does this man want to do?
Deep inside the pit.
Redfield stared wide-eyed, feeling his mind in complete turmoil.
Just as Ian said, is what he really fears the process of aging itself?
"Hey, Redfield, now's not the time to be spacing out."
Seeing Ian disappear into the distance, Shiryu leapt down to the edge of the pit, his expression calm as he looked down at the lost figure below.
"It's time to go!"
Redfield looked up in confusion.
By the coast, the other core members of the Cross Guild had gathered at the small dock, each with a grim expression.
"How did they arrive so fast?"
Crocodile gritted his teeth.
On the distant sea, the massive Navy warships were clearly visible.
What was going on with the fight on the island just now?
Who was Redfield fighting?
Crocodile felt like everything was slipping out of their control.
They had already wiped out all the government agents on the island—by rights, the Navy shouldn't have reacted this quickly.
What on earth is happening!?
On the large dog-headed warship advancing directly ahead—
"Hm?"
Hero Garp was momentarily startled, lowering his binoculars.
His expression turned strange.
"The Cross Guild?"
Why are they here?
**********
Support me on my patreon and read upto 20 early chapters.
patreon.com/PirateKing24